Do you get sick often when you first start a job?

lhflanurseNP, APRN · Dec 17, 2016

Years ago, I would get sick whenever I started working in a new environment...even in the same facility. Now, I do not get bothered as much...must have really developed some good defense having moved around. Seems, if I recall well enough, it would last 2-3 weeks. As long as I stayed there, or went to a previous area, I would be fine...go figure! You too will survive:angrybird13:

cnmbfa · Dec 17, 2016

Wash your hands a LOT (before and after every patient contact, before and after lunch, eating, etc.) and avoid touching your nose/mouth when at work. Get a sign made for sign-in that tells all patients with cough/sneeze, etc. to cough into their sleeve. Use a paper towel to touch door knobs, etc. Have some cleaning wipes to wipe down keyboards, phones, etc. at start of day. Think about things sick patients or other personnel who don't wash hands touch, and use hand gel after touching them (shared thermometer, scale, clipboard, etc.) Use 1-2 pens that you wipe down and that never leave in your pocket, not ones used by others. Eat a healthy diet.

May be happening because you are in a smaller space (exam room with closed door, less air flow) compared to larger patient room. In hospital, you had probably 4-5 patients per shift. If exposed to 20-25 people per day. of whom 16 have an infection, odds are against you unless you have a huge awareness of what spreads them, what surfaces, objects, etc. are likeliest sources, how to reduce # of pathogens that make it into your body.

Here is an example: If you use hand gel, and then open door room, you may as well not have bothered. Instead, open door, leave it open a few inches, stick you head in and say "Mr. ___, I'll be with you in a minute." then clean hands and enter the room.

Get your employer to put wall mounted gel dispensers outside of very room, or have a bottle in every single room, including your charting areas. Get someone assigned to wipe down on buttons, computer keyboards, door touchpads, shared equipment, etc. every day with disinfectant. Make the case that they will recover the cost if it means that each employee is sick two less days per year. (AND I am sure there is an OSHA rule requiring this that they may be breaking.)

Good luck with this.

CalArmy · Dec 17, 2016

Every time I start a new job I get sick!

NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · Dec 17, 2016

Just out of curiosity! I have been an LPN since 2008 so I thought I had a stellar immune system at this point but I recently started a new job in a family practice almost a month ago and have already had the stomach flu, some feverish URI thing, and am just generally worn down.
Hoping this happens to others and it has an expiration date because I am never sick anymore and this crap is wearing me down!!

Well d**n...

NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · Dec 17, 2016

I've heard of this happening to quite a few people. An explanation that I've also heard was that it's because you're being introduced to a whole new set of germs that your body was not otherwise accustomed to, and it needed to adapt. That's what I heard...

For me, starting new jobs tend to be more painful than sickening...as in a pain in the ---. Although I do recall one incident where I unexpectedly caught the worst cold on day 3 of floor orientation back in October 2002. I was so embarrassed and thought I would be fired on the spot because I literally just could not go on with that 8-hour shift. What ever that was, I slept it off and returned the next day feeling like a brand new person. In fact, this is when I was given that new-germ theory that I mentioned above.

sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN · Dec 18, 2016

We get exposed to a lot of infectious pathologies in ambulatory clinics.

sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN · Dec 18, 2016

Can't say enough good about liposomal vitamin C,like 6gramsa day......can't say muchmore because I have already violated TOS....